We are so excited to announce that Park(ing) Spot hosts can now register online for Park(ing) Day NYC 2010!

Our website is currently undergoing some updates but in the mean time you can register to host a Park(ing) Spot here. As always you’ll need to select your spot and gather some information before registering, so check out the How-To Guide! Also, the Department of Transportation has an online database of parking regulations for New York City so you can find out the parking rules at your spot here.

We hope that past Park(ing) Spot hosts will join us again this year. Your amazing creativity and hard work makes this event happen year after year. And if you know of other organizations or individuals who would be interested in hosting a Park(ing) Spot please send them our way!

If you have any questions or need some inspiration for your Park(ing) Spot please contact us at info@parkingdaynyc.org

Hi Park(ing) Day Enthusiasts,

I’m Alyssa, the Park(ing) Day NYC Fellow. What’s a Park(ing) Day NYC Fellow you ask? I’m here to help plan, coordinate and promote Park(ing) Day NYC. I’m also here to answer any questions you may have about Park(ing) Day and how to go about creating your own Park(ing) Spot this September. You can always reach me at alyssa@transalt.org.

And I’d like to share with you a bit about why I became involved in Park(ing) Day NYC and how I envision the streets of New York can be transformed for our communities.

———-

When I think of all the possible uses for 120 sq feet of public space on my block, my mind fills with ideas. I begin to imagine the lush community garden that could flourish there with ripe tomatoes and the sweet smell of basil. Or I think of having a miniature version of Socrates Sculpture Park right outside my front door, with gorgeous artwork that softens the harsh concrete landscape all around. Or a smaller version of the Highline with oversized lawn chairs to relax in, chatting with my neighbors after work. Or maybe the kids down the street who are always bursting the hydrant open for a refreshing dip in the hot Brooklyn summer could have a small wading pool to play in.

But everyday there is a only a car sitting there, only moving on street cleaning days and then returning a few hours later. That same space could become parking for something else like the bicycles that jut out on all sides from the posts near the subway station. One parking spot can park at least 10-15 bicycles. One parking spot could allow children to play safely. One parking spot could showcase local art. One parking spot could grow enough food for a family. One parking spot could enrich the lives of an entire community. 8’ by 15’ is a lot of public space in New York City, what will you create in a Park(ing) spot?

- Alyssa

Park(ing) Day NYC Fellow and Bushwick, Brooklyn Resident

Here at Transportation Alternatives we’re getting very excited for Park(ing) Day NYC 2010! Mark your calendars for Friday September 17th, 2010.

In the coming weeks the website will be up to date and registration will be live. As in years past, Park(ing) Day NYC aims to transform parking spaces into people-friendly public spaces supporting everything from playgrounds to community meeting places, urban gardens to small sculpture parks, performance stages to relaxing respites. Park(ing) Day NYC is an opportunity for community advocates, environmentalists, artists and NYC residents to re-create our urban landscape and reinvent public street space.

In the coming weeks we will be posting interviews with past Park(ing) Day NYC participants about their Park(ing) Day experiences and their ideas on public space in New York. We’ll also talk to other Park(ing) Day cities about how this event has changed their public discourse on urban space. Have an idea for a blog post? Let us know at alyssa@transalt.org.